Aftermath
by Robin Roronoa
Summary: They had won her back, she was home now. Things should have been alright, but they weren't. The evidence of their failure taunted him with every wince she made and every mark he watched heal on her body. They had won the fight, but the evidence of their failure was plain to see. Post-Enies Lobby One-Shot.


He wasn't a stranger to wounds, he even welcomed them most of the time. As a swordsman they were a part of his everyday life, something that he prided himself on overcoming. Training and fighting both came with their share of risks, his body was proof of that with the numerous scars that cut through his tanned skin, but he willing accepted those as the price for achieving his goal. He understood that his wounds showed his progress, how far he had come, and whether or not he was strong enough at that exact moment to face whatever obstacle lay before him. The majority of his wounds were easy to see, physical marks embedded into his body. He had come to understand that hers were very different though, the deepest ones at least. They were invisible on the surface, hidden under layers of cool disdain and fake smiles that she had painstakingly crafted over the years to prevent further harm. She had waited twenty years for them to heal and had lost all hope until they had rescued her from the dark loneliness she had suffered through for longer than most of them had been alive. He had seen when she broke down on the tower, finally letting them in to help her, and trusting that they would be different from those in her past. They would keep her safe and show how important she was to them as a cherished nakama, that they weren't complete without her there. She could finally start healing with a new family, one that wouldn't be taken away as easily as her first one had when she was too weak to stay and protect them.

She was home now, it should have been okay, he thought. But no, the evidence of their recent battle taunted him every time he saw her. The discoloration around her right eye and the scrape that was trying to heal above it. The wince she made whenever she lifted her arms too high, tugging the muscles of her torso that were still tender from the kicks she had received from that pathetic scum, Spandam. The way she left her coffee sitting on the table longer than usual because of the new sensitivity her teeth held from having to hang on for her life while they were fighting to get there in time. He thought the worst had to be the spot near the crown of her head where her silky onyx hair could no longer lay entirely flat after having strands torn out as she was dragged by a handful of it. He knew there was probably a bleeding patch underneath, and it sickened him. All of these didn't fit her like they would him. She didn't welcome wounds such as these, they didn't match the infuriating perfection that she embodied. They marred her delicate beauty, a constant reminder of the how they had been too late. That they had let her get too far out of their reach to completely protect her. They had her back, he thought, but they had still failed.

What bothered him even more was the relief that was so evident on her face. No matter what was happening or who she was with, that sense of undeniable peace never left her now. She finally felt safe it seemed. Her body was beaten and bruised and yet she smiled, gritted her teeth when the painkillers were wearing off and the twinges of trauma would cease to be numbed. That was how he had avoided thinking too much about her injuries the first few days. She hid it so well, not that he was surprised, that had been her life for twenty years after all. To reveal the slightest hint of fear or pain had meant death for her, so she hid it out of habit more than anything else he thought, and also because she knew the momentary hurt would pass. To burden those who had risked everything for her with something she saw as so petty; she wouldn't do that. That is, until he forced her.

He had naively thought that she thankfully hadn't gotten it that bad those first few days they were reunited as she went about shopping and recovering with the rest of them with a smile on her face. He hadn't wanted to notice the slight changes at first because that would be acknowledging his failure to protect her. He hadn't gotten there in time to keep her safe just like he hadn't been able to convince her to stay when she told them she was leaving and he had thought she was gone forever as she dropped out that window. So when he had stumbled into her room after sneaking away for a few hours to train thinking it was his, the truth hit him harder than any blow he had taken during his most recent fight. The memory was still fresh in his mind weeks later now that they had a new ship and crew mate and had resumed their journey towards Fishman Island and the beginning of the New World.

 _Flashback_

 _Dang, this stupid building is so confusing. Why do they put that same picture at the end of every hallway anyway, someone will probably end up lost because of it's crappy design.,_ he thought as he continued on his way towards his room. _Hmm, and using the same numbers for every floor wasn't a great idea either. I guess these guys are only good at building ships. What was my room again? It had a number on the plaque next to the door, 385, 412, 343, something like that._ He continued down the weird hallway, his eyes scanning the signs by each door for something familiar. _458\. That sounds right.,_ thought the swordsman, reaching out and turning the doorknob. Stepping inside the room, Zoro looked up to find Robin facing towards him as she finished buttoning up a long-sleeved, striped shirt.

"Zoro, do you need help finding something?", she asked, a teasing tone in her voice as she smiled at him. He didn't respond though, closing the door behind him instead and walking closer to her.

 _Why didn't she tell us?,_ he thought incredulously as he closed the space between them.

"Zoro, is something wrong?", asked the archaeologist hesitantly. The young man's strange behavior was making her nervous. They had never been on the best terms before her departure and subsequent rescue, but she had thought they had an understanding now, a bond even after he had fought for her sake and they had talked at the party. Was she wrong though? Had she misinterpreted his kindness as genuine care for her when he was simply acting out of obligation to the others?

"Why?", he asked quietly, his voice more broken-sounding then the archaeologist had thought possible. "Why?", he repeated, staring up into her cerulean eyes, a look of defeat marring his normally handsome face.

"I don't understand, Zoro? What are y-" She paused when she felt his hands on her sides, gently lifting her blouse up to reveal the bruised mess of black and blue that her stomach now was. The hits and kicks she had received from Spandam and his elephant sword, Funkfreed, had begun to show up the day after their return to Water Seven. Not even she had realized it was that bad until Chopper had nearly had a heart attack from seeing them show up overnight when he was doing her extensive checkup. She hadn't cared about the marks though, they would fade and the pain was nothing compared to the twenty years of suffering she had survived. So why did the swordsman look so upset? She had never seen him look so, so saddened since she had joined the crew, especially not for her sake.

"Why didn't you tell us you were hurt like this?", Zoro asked again, his fingers tenderly caressing the bruised flesh as he tried to fathom the amount of effort it would have taken to cause that kind of damage to the historian's body. He should have slit the scumbag's throat. He would have if he had known the extent of what he had done to Robin while they were still on the judiciary island. She had been much to merciful with him he realized by only snapping his spine. He deserved much worse for the emotional and physical trauma he had forced the archaeologist through.

"Chopper knows and is giving me painkillers during the day and sedatives at night to help with the tenderness. I didn't see the point in worrying you and everyone else when you had your own injuries to deal with.", she answered calmly. "It's alright, Zoro.", she assured, stepping away from his touch and covering the marks once again by sliding her shirt down. She stared as the green-haired teen stood silently, his gaze locked on the floor as he fought some inner debate before meeting her icy blue eyes again.

"Is that all?", he asked.

"Pardon?"

"That, is that all the damage you took?", he repeated, staring her down with a frightening intensity.

"It's the worst of it, yes."

"Show me.", he said.

"What?", she asked, shocked at his statement. "Zoro, are you feeling alright?", she asked, stepping closer to try and guide him towards the bed.

"I'm fine.", he snapped before taking a deep breath and returning to the deathly calm he had taken on since he had first seen her injuries. "I'm fine, Robin.", he repeated. "I...", he started and then stopped, trying to form his swirling thoughts in words. "I just want to see exactly what they put you through."

"It's not important, Zoro.", she insisted, trying to brush past him.

"Yes, it is.", he said firmly, catching her wrist and holding her in place. "It is to me."

"Fine.", she acquiesced.

The swordsman watched as she slowly undid the buttons of her blouse, exposing the mess of discoloration he had glimpsed earlier and revealing that it was even larger as he noticed it disappeared under the top of her jeans. He saw a patch of bandage wrapped around her shoulder that covered the left side of her collarbone along with a collection of small scratches across the length of both her arms and a slightly darkened area on her cleavage. He studied the damage, imprinting the memory into his mind before turning around and heading for the door.

"Zoro?"

"I'm sorry.", he whispered, clenching his hand around the cool metal of the handle as he shook with a mix of grief and frustration.

"You have nothing to apologize for."

"We're weren't fast enough.", he argued.

"You came.", she said. He heard her light footsteps behind him and a swish of clothing that told him she was redressing. "That's more than anyone has ever done for me. Thank you, Zoro."

"I promise.", he said, turning his head to meet her questioning eyes. "I won't let his happen again.", he said through gritted teeth. _Never again._

"I know.", she said, placing a hand on his shoulder as she spoke. "And I promise to never doubt you or any of our nakama again. I've finally found my home and I don't plan on letting anyone take it away from me now.", she added giving him a confidant smile.

He reached up, letting his hand rest atop hers before turning the handle and letting the door open.

"Where are you going?"

"To train.", he said, walking out the door and leaving her staring after him. _It's not enough; I have to keep training. She'll won't ever suffer like that again. I refuse to let it happen._

 **A/N:** Here's that post-Enies Lobby one-shot I mentioned. Next update will be Ch.103 of _Family Time_.


End file.
